Great Barrier Reef

You could not pick a better spot to get under the waterline and explore the mystical creatures and other-worldly colours that live under the sea. Although the name suggests it’s one huge reef, the Great Barrier Reef is actually made up of around 3000 individual reefs stretching a whopping 2,300km. Now that’s big. It’s the largest coral system in the world and the only living structure seen from space.

Enough trivia? Get out there and explore it! Cairns is the unofficial “reef” capital, being the closest access point, with dozens of boats heading out each day. If you want to escape the early morning rush-hour traffic heading out of the marina, take one of the overnight trips and explore the reef like no day tripper can. The best time to see coral is at night, because this is when they feed and mate. (Even the coral gets lucky in Australia!)